Condenser



July 25, 1939. F. J. McGOVERN CONDENSER Original Filed Sept. 5, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 1 o o o o o F 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o o o I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MM1 v o o o d u 0 0 0 0 1 L o o o o o l o o o o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o o o ni/ifneau MW July 25, 1939. F. J. MQGOVERN 2,167,028

' CONDENSER Original Filed Sept. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I o o o o o oo o o z o o o o Patented July 25, 1939 PATENT OFFICE.

f 2,167,028 CONDENSER.

Frank J. McGovern, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to The Lummus Company,New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 5,1935, Serial No. 39,263 Renewed May 14, 1938 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to condensers and more particularly tocondensers for condensing oil vapors distilled under vacuum.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide acondenser associated with a vacuum distilling column and requiring aminimum of structural support, to provide a condenser opposing a minimumof resistance between the distilling column and the evacuating system,to provide for eifective separation and collection of entrainment insteam distillation, and also to provide means for simple and effectivecleaning of the condenser tubes.

With these and other objects in view, as. will hereinafter appear, thepresent invention comprises the apparatus hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of oneform of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 2a'is a section on line 2a.2a of Fig. 2, showing thearrangement of the shell and partitions, the condenser section beingremoved; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of theinvention.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises ashell 6 having boilingcap decks of any suitable form. For fractionation of the vapors, refluxliquid is introduced on the top deck by a pipe 8. In the upper part ofthe column, the shell is provided with rectangular openings to receivethe tubes of the condenser sections l0 and I2. The condenser sectionsare enclosed between vertical partitions l4 and Hi, a space l8 beingprovided between the sections for access to the tubes. The space I8 isenclosed by removable cover. plates 20. Angles 22 and 24 extendingacross the column serve as supports for the condenser sections duringinsertion or removal.

As shown in Fig. 1, the partition l6is formed at the bottom with asemi-circular collecting pan which is covered with any suitableinsulating material 26.

The condenser tubes of the section H) are connected with headers 28 and30, the former having connections 32 for circulating the cooling fluid.

The tubes of the section 2 are similarly connected into headers 34 and36', of which the former has the cooling liquid connections 38.

Thepartition walls l4 and I6 together with parts of the shell 6 formbifurcated vapor conduits 39 around the condenser section so that vaporsof steam and oil rising from above the boiling cap decks pass around thecondenser section as indicated by the arrows in Figure '1.

and braced by an inclined strut 64.

Above the condenser section, the vapors then combine in the vaporcollecting section Go from which the vapors pass downward through theopening into the condenser section across the tube bundles. Thecondensing action is particularly eificient because of the uniformcross-section presented to the vapor flow, whereby maximum contact ofvapors with previously condensed liquid is effected. The condensatecollects in the semi-circular. portion of the partition l6 and iswithdrawn by a pipe 40. vapors comprising primarily steam with some oilpass under a semi-cylindrical baflie 42 which is supported by brackets44 depending from the angles 24. The baffle 42 is formed along its sideswith upwardly facing channels 46 serving to catch some of the entraineddrops of oil which would otherwise pass under the baflle. Since thebaflle is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, the entrainment flows into thesemi-circular pan.

The vapors continue, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, into acylindrical outlet 48 which is disposed within the baille 42. The outlet48 is partially closed at the end by a baflle plate 50 and is providedwith an opening part-way along the top, as indicated at 52. The tortuouscourse of the vapors in passing from the condenser tubes around the endand bottom of the bafiie 42 and over the bafiie plate 50 into the outletpipe 48 serves to prevent passage of a considerable part of theentrainment with the steam.

Outside the column, the outlet pipe 48 leads into a final entrainmentseparator 54 consisting of a vertical cage with vertical baflie plates56 of any suitable form. The baflle plates serve to separate any remnantof entrained oil, which is withdrawn from the bottom of the cage by apipe 58. The outlet pipe then leads into the usual barometric condenser60 and vacuum jet system 6| which are mounted on a bracket 62 extendingfrom the shell The present invention contemplates a simple method ofcleaning the condenser tubes. The

valves in the draw-off lines 40, 58, etc., are closed. and a cleaningsolution is introduced around the tubes by means of a pipe 66. If hotcleaning solution is required, steam" is introduced in.-

ternally of the tubes by the steam lines 68. By

this means, the cleaning solution may be brought' to the boiling point.After "the cleaning operation, the solution may be removed from thesystem by opening the valve in the draw-01f line 40.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that previously described;The condenser tube bundles I0 and I2 are supported in the shell. The

The uncondensed upper tube bundle I0 is enclosed between partitions Hbut the lower tube bundle is enclosed between a short partition 10 onone side and an angle partition I2 on the other side, the latterextending to a point considerably below the tube bundle and having ahorizontal pan 14 extending into the shell.

denser bundles are covered with insulating material I6; 1

As in the prior construction the column 6 is similarly bifurcated withthe vapor conduit passages 38 and 39a formed by the wall 12 and theshell on one side, and the partitions I4 and 10 and the shell on theother side. In this construction however, the vapors pass from theboiling cap section upwardly through the conduit 39 at the left of thecondensers, into the vapor collecting chamber 6a, thence downwardlythrough the condensers, and upwardly through the other bifurcated vaporspace 39a at the right of the condensers, and finally out through anoutlet pipe 18. The condensate drops on the partition 14 which serves asa collecting pan and is withdrawn by a pipe 80.

In the vertical space leading to the outlet 18, entrainment catchingballles 82 are provided, these being formed with hooked edges to freethe steam vapors of withdrawn oil. The bailles 82 are preferablyinclined to direct the entrainment into the pan.

The outlet 18 leads into the barometric condenser 82 and vacuum jetequipment 84, as in the previously described construction. The externalapparatus is mounted on a bracket 86 identical with that shown in Fig.2.

Cleaning of the'tubes may be effected by introducing cleaning fluidthrough the pipe 66, as in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.

The present invention provides a condensing and evacuating system, ofwhich the major portion of the weight is supported centrally of thecolumn itself. The rectangular cross-section of The invention havingbeen thus described, wha

is claimed is:

1. The combination with a column having a distilling section, of acondenser having tubes in the upper part of-the column, a partitionforming a vapor space leading from the distilling section to the top ofthe condenser, an outlet for uncondensed vapors, evacuating equipmentcon-' nected with said outlet, and means for supporting the evacuatingequipment from the side of the column.

2. The combination with a column having a distilling section, of acondenser having tubes in the upper part of the column, a partitionforming a vaporspace leading from the distilling section to the top ofthe condenser, a condensate pan below the condenser, an inlet forcleaning fluid above the condenser to permit filling of the space abovethe pan, and means for passing heating fluid through the tubes to heatthe cleaning fluid.

The horizontal pan l4 and the vertical partitions at the left side ofthe con- 3. The combination with a column having a distilling section,of a condenser having tubes in the upper part ofthe column, a partitionforming a. vapor. space leading from the distilling section to the topof the condenser, a condensate pan below the condenser, a bailie betweenthe condenser and the pan, and an outlet ,below the baflie.

4. The combination with ,a column having a across-the upper part of thecolumn to define a L rectangular condenser space between them and toprovide vapor spaces between the partitions and the column wall, acondenser section having tubes in a bundle of rectangular,cross-sectionenclosed within the partitions, and a condensate pan extending from thebottom of one partition below the other partition to the column wall.

'6. The combination with a column having a distilling section, of acondenser comprising a bundle of horizontal tubes extending across theupper part of the column, fixed partitions extending completely acrossthe column alongside the tube bundle and forming vapor spaces betweenthe tube bundle and the column wall whereby vapors from the distillingsection are directed to the top of the condenser, a condensate pan belowthe condenser and connected with at least one of the partitions, headersfor the tube bundle, and means for removablysupporting the tube bundleand headers independently of the partitions and condensate pan.

'7. The combination with a column having a distilling section, of acondenser comprising a bundle of horizontal tubes of generallyrectangular cross-section extending across the upper part of the column,fixed vertical partitions extending completely across the columnalongside the tube bundle and forming vapor spaces between the tubebundle and the column wall whereby vapors from the distilling sectionare directed to the top of the condenser, a condensate pan below thecondenser and connected with at least one -of the partitions, headersfor the tube bundle,

and means for removably supporting the tube bundle arid headersindependently of the partitions and condensate pan. u

8. A columnhaving. a distilling section, a bifurcated vapor section, anda vapor collecting section in communication with the distilling sec-'tion through a part of said bifurcated vapor section, means to close offanother part of the bifurcated vapor section from direct communicationwith the distilling section, a condenser chamber between the walls of.the bifurcated vapor section with walls in common, said condenserchamber receiving vapors from said vapor collecting section, means tocondense vapors in the condenser chamber and means to remove uncondensedvapors through another part of said bifurcated vapor section.

- FRANK J. MCGOVERN.

